Greid’s face grew uncharacteristically hard. “If they treat you badly because you don’t eat at fancy restaurants or wear designer clothes or whatever, they’re not worth your time.”
I could tell I’d hit a nerve, so I shook my head. “No, I didn’t mean that. I don’t think Corva is like that. I can’t speak for her friends, though. I just meant, like… I can’t contribute any stories of wild exploits when I was younger or past long-term partners or even going to high school or college. Unless I want to tell them about living in a sex cult that worshipped demiurgus for most of my life, it’s like I materialised out of thin air at thirty-five and have never experienced anything.”
Greid’s yellow eyes softened as he reached out to squeeze my knee with long fingers. “You don’t have to tell them anything you don’t want to, Beryl. You could just say you were homeschooled and had strict parents. Or… I don’t know, you were a deep-sea fisher so spent years living on a boat.”
I laughed, covering his hand with mine. Greid always managed to make me feel better. “Yeah. I’ll think of something.”
“I don’t think…” Greid flipped his hand to lace his fingers through mine. “I don’t think many people would judge you, Beryl, if you did tell them the truth. You didn’t join the cult of your own free will. You were forced to grow up there. No decent person would blame a child for the circumstances they had to endure.”
I swallowed thickly, squeezing his hand tighter. “Maybe. But I don’t think I want people to know. I still stayed there when I could have left.”
Greid shook his head. “Beryl—”
“I don’t want to think about the cult,” I interrupted, tone overly cheerful. “Shall I make us some breakfast?”
“It’s okay, I’ll do it.” Greid yawned and let go of my hand to pick up his coffee cup, pouting when he realised it was empty.
I laughed. “You’re going to cook breakfast?”
He gave me a mock glare. “I’m capable of toasting bagels and spreading cream cheese over them.”
“Are you though?” I said dryly, remembering the other morning when I’d gone into the kitchen and found crumbs and cream cheese smeared over the counter beside the container, which had been left uncovered and out of the fridge. A cream cheese-coated knife had been poised over the edge of the sink, which Greid did when he wasn’t sure if he’d want to come back and make more.
He narrowed his eyes at me, then adopted a big, bright smile. “Hey, you know how we were talking about pets last night?”
“Uh, yeah…” I said slowly, confused by the abrupt topic shift.
He grinned at me wider. “I was thinking. I’ve always wanted a pet tarantula.”
I went perfectly still. “Don’t you dare.”
“You said you like cats, right?” He snickered. “Well they’re basically just like cats, but with more legs. Still furry and cute.”
“They’re not ‘furry’, they’re hairy. And if you think they’re like cats, why do you want one? You don’t trust cats.”
He made a face. “Well, they’re like if cats stayed in an enclosure and didn’t do anything annoying.”
“They can bite.”
“Cats can bite.”
“They… they move too fast.”
“Cats move fast.”
“Greid, if you keep a tarantula in here, I am never coming back in your room again.”
“I could keep it in the workshop.”
“No,” I barked, shivering. “Then it’d be right above my head at night. It could get out and… and…”
“Hulk out of its enclosure and open two doors to get into your room?” he asked wryly.
I glared at him. “Greid, you know you’d forget to put the lid back on its enclosure after feeding it or whatever. God, what would you feed it? Would we have to keep bugs in the fridge?”
He chuckled, reaching over to finger a lock of my hair. “I’m not gonna get a tarantula, berry. Don’t worry.”
I sniffed imperiously. “So this is what I get for bringing you coffee directly to your bed and buying you a candle. Tormented with the threat of horrifying creatures sharing our home with us.”
His expression grew stricken. He snatched the candle off the nightstand and cradled it protectively. “I was joking! Don’t take the candle away.”
Laughing, I shook my head and started packing my new things back into the bag. “I won’t. I guess I better leave you to get dressed for the day.”
“Oh. Okay.” Greid fiddled with the blankets over his lap. “Um, you don’t have to go yet. If you don’t want.”
I didn’t need any more convincing than that. Placing the bag on the floor, I scrambled closer to Greid and started burrowing under the blankets.
“Uh, might want to leave one between us,” he said hurriedly. “I’m, uh…”
I grinned, curling up into his side and throwing a leg over his as I dipped my head to kiss his bare shoulder. “Are you naked, Greid?”
“Y-yeah. And I, uh, I’m definitely gonna get hard, so I don’t want the barbs to hurt you.”
“Don’t worry so much, Greid,” I murmured, shifting closer to tuck my face into his neck and breathe in his scent. “They didn’t hurt me at all yesterday. It’ll be fun getting creative.”
“Nnngh.” His arm crept around me as I pressed kisses over his throat. I smiled when I felt his hips shift anxiously.
Lifting my head, I trailed my lips over his jaw and cheek until I reached his mouth. Greid’s arm tightened around me when I kissed him, dancing my tongue over his bottom lip. He immediately opened for me, shivering as our tongues met. God, the bumps and ridges on his were still such a novel sensation. I couldn’t wait to feel them on other parts of me.
As if he knew the direction my mind had wandered, Greid tore his mouth from mine, panting lightly, and asked, “Is your period over yet?”
Chuckling, I shook my head. “No. But they’re never all that long for me, so another day or two at the most.”
His throat bobbed with a swallow as he cupped the side of my face, long fingers pushing through my hair. “I want to touch you so bad, Beryl.”
“You did yesterday.” I kissed the corner of his lips. “And it was amazing.”
“No, but I mean…” His yellow eyes dipped to my mouth. “I want to make you come.”
My belly tightened with arousal, and my voice had grown husky when I murmured, “I want that too.”
Hand still cupping my cheek, Greid’s thumb stretched to smooth over my bottom lip, his blunt claw digging in gently. I couldn’t stop myself from parting my lips and sucking it into my mouth, relishing the way his eyes grew heavy as a strangled groan rose up his throat.
He pulled his thumb free and crushed his lips to mine with sweet desperation. In between feverish kisses, he mumbled, “I don’t—care that—you’re on—your period. Please.”
God, I was tempted. I wanted Greid’s hands and mouth all over me. I wanted to see him naked again, to watch his big cock fill out and stretch and become that enormous, slightly deadly looking beast that I could kiss and lick and play with until he was begging me to let him come.
But despite always getting incredibly horny on my period, I also never felt the strong urge to actually be touched during it. Periods weren’t gross, but they were messy. I already knew Greid wouldn’t care about getting blood on his sheets, but I’d rather wait until I could really enjoy it. Really, really enjoy it.
I broke the kiss, breathing fast. “Soon, okay?” Trying to calm down, I stroked a soothing hand over his chest and gave him a sly smile. “Then I’ll let you touch any part of me you want.”